Insect eradication system and method
Contents
1. 60 65 8 At step 104 the temperature sensing probes 124 are com municatively connected to an electronic data recorder 126 The data recorder 126 may be include a processor and a memory and may be located inside or preferably outside of the room being treated The temperature sensing probes 124 may be wired and or wirelessly connected to the data recorder 126 The data recorder 126 may receive the temperature read ings from the various temperature sensing probes 124 and record the data in its memory along with a timestamp for when the readings where taken or recorded According to various embodiments the data recorder 126 may be an ECR1 Paperless Recorder from Chromalox Inc or any other suit able electronic data recorder In addition numerous monitor ing points such as fifteen 15 to twenty five 25 monitoring points may be identified throughout the room and marked with adhesive stickers or other identifiers which preferably are numbered to aid in accurate data collection As described below the surface temperatures of these locations may be measured with a handheld infrared thermometer from time to time during the heating process such as every hour for the first four hours and every two hours afterward for the duration of the heat remediation service according to various embodi ments At step 106 the heater 24 is turned on According to vari ous embodiments first the fan 16 is turned on and then the heating coils 222. 1 2005 Hedman 2 422 3 5 792 419 8 1998 Williamson et al 4 8 2005 0108920 5 2005 Takenoshita et al 43 132 1 5 805 767 A 9 1998 Jouas et al 392 365 2005 0220662 Al 10 2005 Hedman 422 1 6 141 901 A 11 2000 Johnson et al 43 132 1 2005 0246942 11 2005 Mueller et al 43 124 6 146 600 A 11 2000 Williamson 4 2007 0084105 4 2007 Lindsay et al 43 132 1 6 169 850 1 2001 Menassa 392 350 4 2007 0283986 A1 12 2007 Baum 4 6 233 397 5 2001 Offir 392 373 1 2008 0014111 A1 1 2008 Hedman 422 3 6 279 261 8 2001 Binker et al 2 43 125 x 2008 0148624 6 2008 Borth etal 43 132 1 6 327 812 B1 12 2001 Hedman et al 43 132 1 x 2008 0260364 1 10 2008 Vandrak et al 392 365 6 376 805 B2 4 2002 Faries et al 219 385 Z 2009 0071062 3 2009 Hedman 43 132 1 6 447 737 9 2002 Williamson et al 4 2009 0211148 8 2000 McCart 43194 6 588 140 7 2003 Johnson et al 43 132 1 6 612 067 B2 9 2003 Topp 43 124 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 6 678 994 B2 1 2004 Topp 43 124 6 772 829 B2 8 2004 Lebrun 165 122 DE 19936417 Al 2 2001 6 840 256 1 2005 Ryan et al 2 43 125 6 892 491 B2 5 2005 Hedman 43 1321 OTHER PUBLICATIONS 55 n pins deta n L
3. of the heater 24 In some instances additional ventilation of the room may be needed In these circum stances additional separate fans units may be placed throughout the room These fan units may be turned on prior to activation of the heater coils 22 In addition if airflow from the heater 24 is directly on walls or furniture the heater 24 may be repositioned or reflective insulation may be used to protect the walls and furniture One or more external genera tors not shown may be used to power components of the heater 24 such as the motor 16 for example In addition or alternatively components of the heater 24 such as the motor 16 for the heater coils 22 may be electrically powered from conventional wall outlets air conditioning and or electrical appliance power outlets in the room as described above In addition for example a generator may be used to power one power circuit such as the power circuit for the fan motor and wall outlets in the room or otherwise in the building may be used to power the power circuits for the heater coils 22 At step 108 the operator s leaves the room 122 The door is preferably closed and sealed to retain the hot air inside the room 122 At step 110 the room is heated to the lethal temperature which is preferably in the range of 120 to 130 F for ambient air and 111 F to 113 F for voids in the walls etc in the treatment area The temperature readings from the temperature sensing
4. probes collected by the data recorder may be monitored to determine when the room temperature reaches the lethal level The temperature readings may be collected periodically such as every five minutes to every two hours for example during the heating process The heating of the room 122 to the lethal level may be relatively gradual such as over a period of hours because furniture and cabinets made of laminated components are preferably heated slowly over several hours to prevent the laminated surfaces from expanding faster than the core and breaking the adhesive bonds Throughout the heating process the temperature readings may be monitored by the temperature sensing probes 124 whose temperature data is collected and stored by the data recorder 126 In addition a human operator may enter the room from time to time during the heating process to spot check surface temperatures with for example an infrared US 7 926 222 B2 9 thermometer to validate readings from the temperature sens ing probes 124 which may be thermocouples and to visu ally inspect the room for damage and bed bug activity Pref erably the human operator takes and records the surface temperature readings at the pre identified and pre marked monitoring points described above Such human observation may take place every hour for the first four hours of the heating process and then every two hours thereafter Once these threshold temperatures are reached the
5. ration process the smoke detection system in the room may be modified so it is deactivated such as by removing its power source or turning it off In addition electronic devices in the room that may be sensitive to high temperatures such as computers televi sions radio etc may be removed or if left in the room disconnected from power Similarly the refrigerator if any in the room may be unplugged Also the air conditioner if any should be turned off Indeed the air conditioner prefer ably should be turned off the twelve to twenty four hours prior to the heat treatment to reduce the time it will take to heat the ambient air in the room to the lethal temperature In addition the window s and other openings in the room except the door at this point should be tightly closed Pref erably no other external room sealings are needed That is in contrast to prior heat treatment processes where the treatment area is tented so that the room is enclosed in a tent or other sealant external room sealings do not need to be used accord ing to various embodiments of the heat treatment process of the present invention In addition as part of the room preparation process the heater 24 is placed in the room According to various embodi ments the separate sections 10 12 of the heater 24 may be transported separately to the room and then the two sections 10 12 may be connected to form the functional heater 24 once the two sections 1
6. recorder that records the temperature readings The process also comprises connecting a first heater section to a second separate heater section to form an electric heater The first heater section comprises a plurality of electrically energized heater coils and the second heater section comprises a fan and a fan motor In addition the process comprises heating the room with the electric heater such that ambient air in the room is heated to at least 120 F for a treatment time period and such that interior structural voids for the room exceed 111 F for the treatment time period wherein the treatment time period is at least four hours in various embodiments In addition during the heating process the energy gain may be monitored through the data recorder and by having a human Observer enter the room make observations and take surface temperatures at numerous different locations within the room such as fifteen to twenty five different locations Such human observation may be done for example at one hour intervals for the first four hours and at two hour intervals after four hours In other general aspect the present invention is directed to a kit used for treating rooms with heat for eradicating bed bugs and other pests The kit may comprise according to various embodiments 1 a first heater section comprising a plurality of electrically energized heater coils ii a second heater section separate from the first heater second t
7. the room arranging a first heater section and a second separate heater section wherein the first heater section comprises a first housing a fan and a fan motor wherein the second heater section com prises a second housing and a plurality of electrically energizable heater coils and wherein arranging the heater sections comprises locating the first heater sec tion such that the fan increases air movement over a portion of the heater coils securing the first heater housing of the arranged first heater section to the second heater housing of the arranged second heater section to form an electric heater assem bly wherein the electric heater assembly further com prises a first power circuit for receiving electric power from a first source for powering a first portion of the heater coils and a second power circuit for receiving electric power from a second source for powering a second portion of the heater coils heating the room with the electric heater assembly such that ambient air in the room is heated to at least 120 F for a treatment time period and such that interior struc tural voids for the room exceed 111 F for the treatment time period wherein the treatment time period is at least two hours and 20 25 30 35 40 12 during the heating recording and storing by the data recorder temperature readings from the plurality oftem perature sensing probes 15 The method of claim 14 further com
8. 0 12 are transported to the room Using two separate sections 10 12 obviates the need to carry both sec tions 10 12 at once to the room to be treated which may be difficult in situations where the room to be treated is on an upper floor of a high rise building Multiple heater sections also allows for customization of the heater coil configura tions as described above At step 102 a number of temperature sensing probes 124 are placed throughout the room Preferably at least six tem perature sensing probes 124 are placed throughout the room 122 For example one may be placed at each of the following locations air intake for the heater 24 e g close to grill 42 see FIG 6 one or more ambient air locations preferably approximately six feet from the floor high and low locations into the wall void of the wall supporting the headboard of the bed as well as other wall ceiling and floor void spaces in the mattress and inside the core of a wood member of the room such as a wooden piece of furniture in the room Alter natively one or more temperature sensing probes may be placed in scrap wood of similar thickness to furniture of the room to avoid having to drill holes in the furniture for a probe It should be noted that the step of locating the temperature sensing probes may be performed after preparation of the room step 100 or it may be performed while the room is being prepared 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55
9. 2 FIGS 5 and 6 show front and back views of the heater 24 according to various embodiments As shown in these figures the first section 10 may include a front grill 40 through which hot air from the heater 24 can be blown In addition the second section 12 may include a rear intake grill 42 through which the fan 14 may pull ambient air for heating by the heater assembly 20 The heater 24 may also include a power box 48 In the illustrated embodiment the power box 48 is connected to the body 18 of the first heater section 10 although in other embodiments the power box 48 could be connected to the body 19 of the second heater section 12 The power box 48 may comprise for example five separate electrical power circuits 220a e shown in FIG 11 The first power circuit 220a provides electric power to the motor 16 In the illustrate embodiment the first power circuit 220a is for powering the motor 16 from a 120V power source Also in the illustrate embodiment the second and third power circuits 2205 c are for powering individual respective 120V coils 22a from 120V input sources The fourth and fifth power circuits 220d e may be used for different input voltage sources such as 208 240 or 277V The fourth power circuit 220d may energize for example four 4 heater coils 225 and the fifth power circuit 220e also may energize four 4 heater coils 22c as shown in the example of FIG 11 This way depending on the available power sources
10. 92 349 350 219 385 386 536 541 165 122 See application file for complete search history 57 ABSTRACT System kit and method for treating bed bugs or other pests in 56 References Cited a room The system comprises an electric heater that is U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 1 817 535 A 8 1931 Spanel 43 124 1 948 228 A 2 1934 Urban 43 132 1 2 467 393 A 4 1949 Leher 43 132 1 2 469 963 A 5 1949 Grosjean et al 4 3 029 332 A 4 1962 Cotts 392 350 3 378 065 A 4 1968 Mitchell et al 165 122 3 631 525 A 12 1971 Brasch 392 350 3 731 057 A 5 1973 Kunzetal 392 368 3 737 622 A 6 1973 Hallgreen 392 360 3 870 860 A 3 1975 Steiner 392 351 3 924 099 A 12 1975 Housel 165 122 4 476 920 A 10 1984 Drucker et al 165 242 4 523 081 A 6 1985 Geib etal 392 350 formed by joining separate parts or sections A first heater section may comprise a number of electrically energized heater coils and the second section may comprise a fan and a fan motor The system may also comprise a number of tem perature sensing probes to be installed at locations within the room The system may also comprise an electronic data recorder to receive and record temperature rea
11. 926 222 B2 5 FIGS 4 and 5 The first section 10 may comprise a number of electrically energizable heater coils which when electri cally energized produce heat The first section 10 may com prise for example ten to twenty separate heater coils FIG 7 shows an embodiment ofa heater assembly 20 comprising ten heater coils 22 As described further below certain ofthe coils 22 may be connected to and electrically energized by various input power sources to the heater 24 The heater assembly 20 may be enclosed within the body 18 of the first section 10 FIG 3 is a top view of the electric heater 24 with the first and second sections 10 12 connected to form the functional heater and FIG 4 shows a side view ofthe heater 24 with the first and second sections 10 12 connected The first and second sections 10 12 may be connected using for example conventional connecting means such as nuts bolts etc For example the bodies 18 19 may each include rims on their connecting ends that may be connected using nuts and bolts or any other suitable connectors As shown in FIGS 3 and 4 each section 10 12 may have one or more sets of wheels 28 to facilitate transporting the sections 10 12 Also the sections 10 12 may comprise feet 30 for supporting the end of the sections 10 12 that do not have the wheels 28 In other embodiments one or both of the sections 10 12 could have two sets of wheels with one set at each end of the section 10 1
12. Thermostat gt Q lt N gt h 120V 120V 120V US 7 926 222 B2 1 INSECT ERADICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD BACKGROUND Bed bugs are nocturnal insects that feed only on blood mainly on the blood of humans Bed bugs will suck blood from other animals such as domestic pets as well as pests such as birds and bats They live in loose groups or individu ally and have a tendency to occupy cracks and crevices or other similar harborages Bed bugs are stimulated to seek a host most likely by vibrations body heat and CO2 vapors An inseminated adult female bed bug requires a blood meal within five days either before or after insemination for egg laying to occur Once fed and inseminated the female bed bug locates a suitable environment and deposits small whitish eggs which are attached with a cement like material to sur faces in the cracks and crevices where they hide Eggs can be found in caches in protected areas as well as individually in open spaces Females typically lay 2 3 eggs per day and can lay 200 to 500 eggs in their lifespan Under appropriate tem peratures eggs hatch after approximately 10 days but may be viable for as long as 28 days before hatching Bed bug nymphs molt 5 times before reaching adulthood and require a blood meal prior to each molt Adults can live without a meal for several months in some reports for more than a year and nymphs for up to four months without feeding The ti
13. US007926222B2 a2 United States Patent 10 Patent No US 7 926 222 B2 Molnar et al 45 Date of Patent Apr 19 2011 54 INSECT ERADICATION SYSTEM AND 4 620 388 A 11 1986 Imagawa 43 130 METHOD 4 642 441 A 2 1987 Kenyon 392 365 4 676 152 A 6 1987 Tsujietal 99 468 4 692 593 A 9 1987 Chiu 392 373 76 Inventors Christopher J Molnar Coraopolis PA 4716676 A 1 1988 eae d 43 130 US Paul R Rannick Munhall PA 4 740 670 A 4 1988 You es 392 365 US Tom Jarzynka Geneva FL US 4 794 227 A 12 1988 Antoniazzi et al 219 536 4 817 329 A 4 1989 Forbes quee 43 132 1 Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this aoe et al pene patent is extended or adjusted under 35 tes IESE U S C 154 b by 118 days Continued 21 Appl No 12 284 826 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS DE 19746026 Al 6 1998 22 Filed Sep 25 2008 Continued 65 Prior Publication Data OTHER PUBLICATIONS US 2010 0071258 Al Mar 25 2010 International Search Report and Written Opinion Application No 1 PCT US2009 05279 dated Nov 17 2009 10 pages nt Cl AOIM 1 20 2006 01 Continued 52 USER tentent 43 132 1 43 124 58 Field of Classification Search 43 132 1 Primary Examiner Darren W Ark 43 124 130 144 125 129 392 365 373 74 Attorney Agent or Firm K amp L Gates LLP 3
14. a smoke detector for the room 22 The method of claim 14 wherein securing the first heater section to the second heater section comprises bolting the first heater section to the second heater section 23 The method of claim 14 wherein the electric heater assembly comprises an additional heater section 24 The method of claim 23 wherein the additional heater section comprises a fan
15. be energized only when the motor 16 is energized For simplicity only one lockout 210 is shown in FIG 11 although the heater 24 may include as many lockouts as needed to prevent the heater coils from being energized give the number of power circuits used in the heater 24 Because the first or heater section 10 of the heater 24 containing the heater coils 22 is separate from the second or fan motor section 12 containing the fan 14 and the motor 16 in various embodiments the user s of the heater 24 may have multiple different heater sections 10 available for selec tion and use depending on the available power sources For example the user s could have one heater section 10 with some 120V heater coils as shown in the embodiment described above and could have a second heater section 10 with no 120V heater coils but instead all higher voltage rated heater coils such as 208 240V If the user s knows that there are some available 120V sources and some higher rated sources for the higher rated heater coils 225 c the user could select to use the first heater section 10 in order to user the 120V heater coils Conversely if the user knows that only 208 240 V sources are available in the room the user s could select the second heater section 10 the one with only 208 240V heater coils In this scenario a generator could be used to power the motor 16 Of course different combinations of voltage rated heater coils could be used in the d
16. catively connecting the temperature sensing probes 124 and the data recorder 126 For example the kit may comprise wires if the temperature sensing probes 124 are wired to the data recorder 126 If the temperature sensing probes 124 wirelessly communicate with the data recorder 126 the data recorder 126 may comprise an internal or external radio for receiving the wireless temperature read ing data from the temperature sensing probes 124 According to additional embodiments the kit may also comprise one or anumber of electric generators for powering one of the power circuits of the heater 24 In addition the kit may comprise an infrared thermometer to measure temperatures in the room In addition the kit may comprise multiple different first or heater sections 10 of the heater 24 so that the operator has the option of which heater section 10 to use depending on the available power sources While several embodiments of the present invention have been described herein it should be apparent that various modifications alterations and adaptations to those embodi ments may occur to persons skilled in the art For example certain steps of FIG 9 may be performed in different orders or at the same time It is therefore intended to cover all such modifications alterations and adaptations without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the appended claims What is claimed is 1 A method of treating pests i
17. comprise an electronic data recorder in US 7 926 222 B2 3 communication with the plurality of temperature sensing probes to receive and record temperature readings from the plurality of temperature sensing probes The room may be gradually heated to a temperature that is lethal lethal temperature for bed bugs and other pests According to various embodiments the room may be heated so that the ambient air in the room is at least 120 F and the temperature of structural voids in the walls ceiling etc of the room 15 at least 111 Once the lethal temperature is reached the room may be heated for a time period the treatment time period such as two to four hours or more in order to kill the bed bugs and other pests in the room After the treatment time period the heater may be turned off and the room allowed to return to normal temperature According to various embodiments the method may com prise preparing the room for treatment Preparing the room for treatment may comprise for example 1 moving furni ture to the center of the room and away from the walls ii modifying or deactivating water sprinkler and smoke detec tion systems and iii fully and tightly closing the windows of the room The process of treating the room may also include placing the temperature sensing probes at various strategic locations throughout the room The plurality temperature sensing probes are also in communication with a data
18. cording to various embodiments of the present invention and FIG 11 is a wiring diagram of the heater according to various embodiments of the present invention DESCRIPTION The present invention is directed generally to systems and methods for treating a room for pests The pests may be for example bed bugs or other insects or microorganisms Pref erably the treatment of the room kills or eradicates most ifnot all ofthe pests in the room In addition the room is preferably aroom ofa multi unit or multi room building such as a hotel hospital office building etc That way the process can be used to treat individual rooms of the building rather than the entire building at once In addition although the description herein is generally directed to embodiments where one room in a multi unit or multi room building the invention is not so limited and the heating process could be used in various embodiments to treat individual structures such as single family residences etc The pest eradication process involves heating the ambient air in the room The heating may be performed in various embodiments by an electric heater The electric heater may comprise two or more separate sections that can be trans ported separately but combined or connected together to form a functioning electric heater Employing multiple sepa rate sections has the advantage that the separate sections can be significantly lighter than the whole heater making t
19. dif ferent combinations of heater coils 22 could be used to heat the room For example if three 120V power sources were available in the room and no higher rated power sources were available the three 120V power sources could be used to power the motor 16 and the two 120V coils 22a viathe power circuits 2205 and 220c If for example only one 120V source was available but two 208 240 or 277V sources were available the 120V source could be used to power the motor 16 and the two 208 240 or 277V sources could be used to power the heater coils 225 c via the power circuits 2204 The 120V source in this example could be from a discrete generator or a wall outlet If a sufficient number of 120V and 208 240 or 277V sources were available all ofthe heater coils 22a c could be energized In addition with reference to FIG 8 the power circuits could be controlled by switches 64 66 and 72 78 on a control 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 6 panel 62 which may be located on the upper surface of the power box 48 for example as shown in FIG 3 For example using switches 64 and 66 the user could turn on or off the 120V power circuits 2205 c Whether the power circuits 220b c are operational or not may be indicated by indicator lights 68 70 respectively Similarly using switches 72 78 the user could turn on or off the power circuits 220d e and could also choose whether they are to be powered by 208 240V or 277V s
20. dings from the temperature sensing probes The room may be gradually heated to a temperature that is lethal for bed bugs and other pests Once the lethal temperature is reached the room may be heated for a time period 24 Claims 6 Drawing Sheets Position Temperature Sensing Probes Operator Leave Room Close and Seal Door Heat Room to Lethal Temperature US 7 926 222 B2 Page 2 U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 2001 0034963 A1 11 2001 Jones 43 124 4 989 363 A 2 1991 Doernemann 43 132 1 200200002 oe 02 al s2231 2A 2002 0170227 1 11 2002 Topp 43 124 4 989 364 A 2 1991 Chaudoin et al 43 132 1 M 2002 0189154 12 2002 Hedman 43 132 1 5 083011 A 1 1992 392 365 x 2002 0194773 12 2002 Topp 43 124 5 121 788 A 6 1992 165 122 2003 0026727 Al 2 2003 43 124 5 131 461 A 7 1992 165 122 E nom 01063 0T 2004 0025892 2 2004 Kreyenberg 131 299 292 2004 0025893 2 2004 Kreyenberg 131 299 5 349 778 A 9 1994 43 132 1 x 2004 0028554 2 2004 Hedman 422 1 5 378 086 1 1995 Campbell et al 4 2004 0028583 2 2004 Hedman 422 307 5 501 032 3 1996 43 132 1 1 2004 0035044 Al 2 2004 Topp 4 5 678 352 A 10 1997 Leitner et al 43 124 2005 0013727 Al
21. es User Manual Paperless Recorder Chromalox Inc 12th 7 435 378 B2 10 2008 Richardson et al 43 124 ed Feb 2006 7 690 148 B2 4 2010 Hedman 43 132 1 Portable Industrial Unit Blower Air Heater Types SDRA and 7 739 829 B2 6 2010 Chen et al 43 132 1 SDRA RG Chromalox Inc 2006 7 837 932 B2 11 2010 Hedman 43 132 1 2001 0004813 Al 6 2001 Hedman 43 132 1 cited by examiner U S Patent Apr 19 2011 Sheet 1of6 US 7 926 222 B2 U S Patent Apr 19 2011 Sheet 2 of6 US 7 926 222 B2 y me 42 e D SS EOS RS ET US 7 926 222 B2 Sheet 3 of 6 Apr 19 2011 U S Patent 08 881 MOO6E A802 Z 16 081 SdWV 8 81 0068 A806 SdWV Z Le ZLINDYIO JInoadlo NOd SdiNV se 5 AOG MOOS ADE U S Patent Apr 19 2011 Sheet4of6 US 7 926 222 B2 100 102 Position Temperature Sensing Probes 104 Connect Probes to Data Recorder 106 Turn Heater On 108 Operator Leave Room Close and Seal Door 110 Heat Room to Lethal Temperature 112 Turn Heater Off FIG 9 U S Patent Apr 19 2011 Sheet 5 of 6 US 7 926 222 B2 Data Recorder FIG 10 U S Patent Apr 19 2011 Sheet 6 of 6 US 7 926 222 B2 Heater Terminal Box Mr NS ermostat
22. hat comprises a fan and a fan motor wherein the fan motor is for powering the fan and wherein the first heater section is con nectable to the second heater to form an electric heater to heat the room iii a plurality of temperature sensing probes to be installed at locations within the room to measure the tempera ture in the room and iv a data recorder for communicating with the plurality of temperature sensing probes to receive and record temperature readings from the plurality of tem perature sensing probes FIGURES Various embodiments of the present invention are described herein by way of example in conjunction with the following figures wherein FIG 1 is diagram of a first section of a heater according to various embodiments of the present invention 20 40 45 50 60 65 4 FIG 2 is diagram of a second section of a heater according to various embodiments of the present invention FIGS 3 6 are views of an assembled heater according to various embodiments of the present invention FIG 7 is a diagram ofa heater element comprise a number of heater coils according to various embodiments of the present invention FIG 8 is a diagram of a control panel of the heater accord ing to various embodiments of the present invention FIG 9 is a flowchart illustrating a process for treating a room according to various embodiments of the present inven tion FIG 10 is a diagram of a system for treating a room ac
23. he heater sections easier to transport to rooms on upper levels of buildings In addition as described below in various embodi ments one section of the heater may comprise a fan and fan motor and another section may comprise the heater assem bly including a number of heater coils Certain heater coils may be rated for certain input voltage sources Sectioning the heater from the fan motor unit also allows for customization of the heater coils to match available power sources e g power sources of 110V 208V 220V 240V 277V etc with the recognition that the ohm rating of the coils limits the power selections Once the separate heater sections have been transported to the treatment area e g the area or room to be treated the heater can be assembled from the various sec tions FIGS 1 7 show aspects of the electric heater according to various embodiments of the present invention In the illus trated embodiment the heater comprises two separate sec tions FIG 1 shows a first or front section 10 ofthe heater and FIG 2 shows a second or rear section 12 of the heater Both sections 10 12 may comprise generally cylindrical bodies 18 19 which may be made of metal for example The second section 12 may comprise a belt driven fan 14 and an electric motor 16 for powering the fan 14 by driving the belt The fan 14 may belocatedinthe body 19 ofthe second section 12 and the motor 16 may be located under the body 19 shown in US 7
24. hrough one or more ingress ducts until the temperature within the enclo sure reaches about 120 F Published U S patent application Pub No 2005 0220662 discloses a process for killing organisms including bed bugs in a room of a multi room building According to this pub lished application a heater is placed within the room of the building and heat sensitive articles within the room are removed In addition a number of temperature sensing probes are positioned in the room The heater then heats the ambient air within the room to a predetermined temperature as measured by the temperature sensing probes of between 100 F and 400 F SUMMARY In one general aspect the present invention is directed to systems and method for treating bed bugs or other pests in a room of a multi room building such as a hotel apartment building office building etc According to various embodi ments the system comprises an electric heater that is formed by joining separate parts or sections A first heater section may comprise a number of electrically energized heater coils and the second section may comprise a fan and a fan motor The fan motor is for powering the fan and the first heater section is connectable to the second heater to form the electric heater to heat the room The system may also comprise a number of temperature sensing probes to be installed at loca tions within the room to measure the temperature in the room The system may also
25. ifferent heater sections 10 to provide the user with multiple options For example some heater sections 10 may be designed for U S power systems and some heater sections 10 may be designed for use in European environments FIG 9 is a flowchart of the process for eradicating bed bugs and other pests using the heater 24 according to various embodiments of the present invention At step 100 the room to be treated is prepared As part of the room preparation US 7 926 222 B2 7 process with reference to FIG 10 furniture and other large items 120 in the room 122 such as the mattress es box spring s appliance s etc are moved away from the walls of the room 122 to the extent possible stacked and arranged so that heated air from the heater 24 can flow evenly around over and under the items 120 In addition sprinkler heads if any in the room may be modified so that they are deacti vated that is so that they do not go off during the heat treatment process The sprinkler heads may be modified for example by draining the sprinkler system removing the sprinkler heads and putting plugs in their place using differ ent sprinkler heads that are not activated at the temperatures to be used in the treatment process e g not activated at tem peratures below 130 F and or adjusting the sprinkler heads so that they are not activated at the temperatures to be used in the treatment process In addition as part of the room prepa
26. me for development of each instar is dependant upon and available food source host temperature and humidity With an available host the ideal environment for develop ment is 83 F to 90 F with 75 to 80 relative humidity Under these conditions all five nymph stages can be com pleted and sexual maturity reached in approximately 45 60 days There is potential for 3 4 generations per year to be produced During the nymphal development stages bed bugs may feed as frequently as once a day and usually feed at night when people are asleep however they will seek blood meals during the day under subdued or low light situations It takes 3to 12 minutes to feed to engorgement To feed the proboscis piercing mouthpart penetrates the skin and a feeding tube within the proboscis is extended and attached to a capillary The person or animal being fed upon typically does not feel the penetration of the skin The bed bug injects an anticoagu lant into the wound to facilitate feeding During the night the insect may feed at several different points along the body before becoming fully engorged Feeding is most often done horizontally across skin of the host as the insect travels along the sheets orother bedding Bed bugs rest between feedings in protected areas near the location of a host awaiting a stimulus to signal them to seek their next meal Under consistent mod erate room temperatures and an adequate food supply bed bugs willliveto 316 day
27. mones that could be used as attractants to traps which further reduces the treatment strategies and options available to the modern pest management profes sional The piercing mouthpart does not enable bed bugs to groom themselves or each other which can limit effective ness of dust formulations 0 8 Pat No 6 141 901 discloses one prior art technique treating pests including insects The technique of this patent involves pumping heated outside air into the treatment zone e g a structure fora period of time The outside air is heated to at least 200 and pumped into the structure until the temperature inside the structures rises preferably at a rate of 10 F per hour until the temperature inside the structure reaches the lethal temperature which according to the patent is usually about 120 F to 130 F for most pests U S Pat No 6 588 140 discloses another prior art tech nique for treating articles for pest infestation In this patent the articles to be treated are placed in an enclosure which envelopes the articles The enclosure is then sealed with a flexible heat resistant material and hot air is pumped into the enclosure U S Pat No 6 327 812 discloses a process for killing organisms and removing toxins in an enclosure In the process of this patent temperature sensing probes are installed within the enclosure Hot air produced by a heater external to the enclosure is then introduced into the enclosure t
28. n a room of a multi room building the method comprising preparing the room for treatment wherein preparing the room for treatment comprises fully closing one or more windows of the room 20 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 10 placing a plurality of temperature sensing probes through out the room wherein the plurality of temperature sens ing probes are in communication with a data recorder connecting a first heater section to a second separate heater section to form an electric heater wherein the first heater section comprises a plurality of electrically ener gized heater coils wherein the second heater section comprises a fan and a fan motor and wherein the electric heater further comprises a power box comprising a first power circuit for receiving electric power from a first power source for powering the fan motor a second power circuit for receiving electric power from a second source for powering a first portion of the heater coils and a third power circuit for receiving electric power from a third source for powering a second portion of the heater coils heating the room with the electric heater such that ambi ent air in the room is heated to at least 120 F for a treatment time period and such that interior structural voids for the room exceed 111 F for the treatment time period wherein the treatment time period is at least two hours and during the heating recording and storing by the da
29. ources Whether the power circuits 220d e are opera tional or not may be indicated by indicator lights 80 82 respectively As shown in FIG 4 the heater 24 may include five 5 external power cords The first external power cord 50 may connect to the power circuit 220a that is used to provide electrical power to the motor 16 The first power cord 50 may be connected to the power box 48 and a conduit 52 may carry the power cables from the power box 48 to the motor 16 The motor 16 may run on 120V for example As such the first power cord 50 may be plugged into a conventional 120V wall outlet or to a 120V generator The second two power cords 54 56 may be used for 120V power sources and may be connected to the two power cir cuits 2205 c of the power box 48 used to power the 120V heater coils 22a respectively The other two power cords 58 60 may be connected to the two power circuits 220d e of the power box 48 and used to power the heater coils 22b c respec tively but may be used for differently rated power sources such as 240V and or 277V or any other voltage rating In addition the power box 48 as shown in FIG 11 may comprise relays or other lockouts 210 for preventing the heater coils 22 from being energized unless the fan motor 16 is energized Using the relay type lockout 210 shown in FIG 11 the pole 212 is closed when the motor 16 is energized via the inductive coupling from the inductor 214 allowing the heater coil 22a to
30. prising powering the electric heater assembly with an electric generator 16 The method of claim 14 wherein the electric heater assembly further comprises a power box comprising the first power circuit and the second power circuit 17 The method of claim 16 wherein the power box further comprises a third power circuit for receiving electric power from a third power source for powering the fan motor and wherein the power box comprises one or more lockouts that prevent powering of the heater coils unless the fan motor is energized 18 The method of claim 16 wherein the power box further comprises a third power circuit for receiving electric power from a third power source for powering the fan motor and wherein the power box comprises one or more lockouts that prevent the first and second portions of the heater coils from being energized unless the fan motor is energized 19 The method of claim 14 wherein the second power circuit is rated at a higher voltage than the first power circuit 20 The method of claim 14 wherein the electric heater assembly further comprises a first switch for selectively turning on and off the first power circuit and a second switch for selectively turning on and off the sec ond power circuit 21 The method of claim 14 wherein preparing the room comprises modifying a water sprinkler system for the room so that the water sprinkler system is not activated during the heat ing and deactivating
31. room is heated for a period of time the treatment time period suchas two hours three hours or more Preferably the threshold temperature is 113 F for all void and interior structural temperatures and the preferably treatment time period is four hours Accordingly once all void and interior structural tem peratures have exceeded the threshold temperature e g 113 for the treatment time period e g four hours at step 112 the heater 24 may be turned off First the heater coils 22 may be turned off but the fan 16 and any other fan units in the room preferably should run for a minimum of ten minutes after the heater coils 22 are turned off to help dissipate the heat As even cooling of the room is important to prevent damage the room air conditioner should not be turned on at this point but rather preferably is not turned on until the day following the treatment According to various embodiments once the surface tem peratures of the heater coils 22 drops below 105 F the heater 24 and temperature monitoring equipment may be removed from the room Various embodiments of the present invention are also directed to a kit that can be used to eradicate bed bugs and other pests through heat The kit may comprise i the two sections 10 12 of the heater 24 ii a number of temperature sensing probes 124 and iii the data recorder 126 along with any required software In addition the kit may comprise means for communi
32. s Low temperatures and or an incon sistent food supply can actually extend the life span of stressed bed bugs up to 1 years as their metabolism slows hibernation and then returns to normal as temperatures rise or a host becomes available Bed bugs are of particular concern in the hospitality indus try A hotel s reputation for service and cleanliness is the driving factor in their quality rating and booking of room space Therefore bed bugs can be devastating to the hotel s reputation and create an immediate negative financial impact While sanitation can play a role in the level of difficulty controlling a bed bug infestation it has little to do with whether or not a customer may get them in the first place 20 25 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 Even so the presence of bed bugs in a room is generally perceived by the public as an indication of improper sanita tion and poor cleanliness Over the years many techniques have been proposed for eliminating and preventing crawling insect pests such as cockroaches and ants in homes and businesses These tech niques focus on the minimal application of pesticides and placement of products in areas that humans and pets cannot come into contact with them Unfortunately these modern techniques have proven to be very ineffective against the common bed bug Being blood feeders bed bugs are not attracted to any current formulated baits and currently there are no synthetic phero
33. st heater section to the second heater section comprises bolting the first heater section to the second heater section 10 The method of claim 8 wherein the first heater section comprises a first housing and the second heater section com prises a second housing and wherein securing the first heater section to the second heater section comprises physically attaching the first housing to the second housing 11 The method of claim 8 wherein the electric heater further comprises an additional heater section 12 The method of claim 11 wherein the additional heater section comprises a fan US 7 926 222 B2 11 13 The method of claim 1 further comprising powering the electric heater with an electric generator and wherein connecting the first heater section to the second heater section comprises securing the first heater section to the second heater section and connecting the first heater section to the second heater section comprises locating the fan such that the fan pulls ambient air for heating by the electric heater 14 A method of treating pests in a room of a multi room building the method comprising preparing the room for treatment wherein preparing the room for treatment comprises fully closing one or more windows of the room placing a plurality of temperature sensing probes through out the room wherein the plurality of temperature sens ing probes are in communication with a data recorder within an interior of
34. ta recorder temperature readings from the plurality oftem perature sensing probes 2 The method of claim 1 further comprising powering the electric heater with an electric generator 3 The method of claim 1 wherein the electric heater com prises one or more lockouts that prevent powering of the heater coils unless the fan motor is energized 4 The method of claim 1 wherein the electric heater fur ther comprises one or more lockouts that prevent the first and second portions of the heater coils from being energized unless the fan motor is energized 5 The method of claim 4 wherein the electric heater fur ther comprises a first switch for selectively turning on and off the second power circuit and a second switch for selectively turning on and off the third power circuit 6 The method of claim 1 wherein preparing the room comprises modifying a water sprinkler system for the room so that the water sprinkler system is not activated during the heat ing and deactivating a smoke detector for the room 7 The method of claim 1 wherein connecting the first heater section to the second heater section comprises locating the fan such that the fan pulls ambient air for heating by the electric heater 8 The method of claim 1 wherein connecting the first heater section to the second heater section comprises securing the first heater section to the second heater section 9 The method of claim 8 wherein securing the fir
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